


The Beginning of Something

by melonbutterfly



Category: The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Brother Feels, Jötunn Loki, Loki Does What He Wants, M/M, Porn With Plot, Tony Does What He Wants, hermaphrodite!Loki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-20
Updated: 2013-05-20
Packaged: 2017-12-12 09:13:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/809878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/melonbutterfly/pseuds/melonbutterfly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because Natasha has been put under a spell nobody else can untangle, Thor needs to ask the best sorcerer in all the realms for help - Loki, Prince of the Jötunn.</p><p>That's not really what this story is about, though. This is about what happens after because apparently, Jötunn are hot as hell despite the whole Frost Giant thing and Tony has no intention of resisting the temptation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Beginning of Something

"My apologies," Thor says regretfully, glancing at Natasha with sorrowful eyes. "Airikr cannot help our comrade."

"I am grievously sorry," Airikr adds, bowing. "My deepest regrets, but I cannot untangle the spell she has been cursed with, at least not without permanently damaging her mind."

Mute, Tony and the others stare at the two for a moment. "And what the fuck are we supposed to do now?" Clint eventually demands. "She can't stay like this!"

Thor and the sorcerer he brought from Asgard – the best the place has to offer, according to him – share a look. "There is no other choice," Airikr eventually says. "You must consult somebody more skilled than I."

Tony frowns. "Wait, didn't you say you're the best on Asgard?"

"I am," Airikr confirms. He glances at Thor again, who catches the look, straightens his back and says, "There is no other way. We must ask the Jötunn for help."

"The Jötunn?" Steve repeats. This is maybe the third time they hear that word from Thor's mouth. After the Avengers had done some googling, they had sat Thor down for a Q and A session about Norse religion myths. Thor had very quickly put an end to the whole subject of Frost Giants; after explaining to them that apparently most of their myths were based on millennia old Æsir prophecies and definitely not reports of the status quo, much less predictions of the future, he had told them that the Æsir and Jötunn kings had signed a peace treaty centuries ago; they hadn't been at war ever since. Tony figures there's something more going on, but Thor is incredibly tight-lipped about it all.

"Yes," Thor says. "Their Prince is the most skilled sorcerer in all the realms. I will contact him to request his counsel."

"How fast is this going to be?" Clint demands. It hadn't taken long at all for Thor to fetch Airikr but generally they're used to the Æsir taking a bit more time with… pretty much anything. Thor's "immediately" is very different from any definition of "immediately" born on Earth. Tony supposes it comes with the being alive for so long but it's still incredibly frustrating, especially in a situation such as this with Natasha having been cursed. With magic involved there is really nothing at all they can do. SHIELD had already brought in its meager "experts" on magic and they had, unsurprisingly, not been able to do much of anything. Nobody even knows how it happened, or what is happening; all they know is that after a confrontation with Amora they recovered Natasha's lifeless body. Everything is still working fine and she isn't brain dead, but that's all they can tell. For all they know the spell is slowly erasing her memories; of course they're eager to get her out of there as fast as possible.

"If he agrees to come, he will come speedily," Thor says. It's probably meant to be reassuring but it really, really isn't. What's that supposed to mean, if he agrees to come? So they might end up unable to do anything at all for Natasha because some Jötunn Prince isn't feeling like helping out the Æsir today or what?

They don't get the chance to ask for clarification, because Thor takes hold of Airikr's elbow and the next moment the two teleport away. Again, all they can do is wait.

"Fucking hell," Clint curses, storming back to Natasha's bedside. Tony and Bruce exchange a glance.

"Is there really nothing you can do?" Steve asks them. "I know you have no experience with magic, but maybe you can figure something out…?"

Tony doesn't bother explaining to him again that that's not how it works; just because you're good at one type of science doesn't mean you're automatically also good at another, and magic is a whole different thing altogether.

"No, Steve," Bruce says tiredly. "We really, really can't."

"You're a painter, right?" Tony asks, having an idea on how to explain it to Steve and hell, it's not like there is anything more pressing they can do right now. "Not a writer or a singer."

"Yes." Steve raises an eyebrow. "You know that."

"Yeah, but you're still an artist, right? With the creativity and all. So you should be able to write a novel."

Understanding floods Steve's face. "Oh." Embarrassed, he ducks his head. "Okay, I get it now. Sorry."

Tony shrugs and glances at Natasha. "Believe me, I wish we could."

"I hate this," Steve says quietly, following Tony's gaze. "We don't even know a little what's going on. Logically I know that if we did it probably wouldn't be any easier, but I just… hate not knowing."

"Yeah," Tony replies. "Me too."

"Same here," Bruce agrees. They fall silent, staring through the glass at the still figure on the bed.

About an hour after he left Thor returns, which has to be some sort of record for him. He's not alone; a tall, blue guy teleports them into the hallway Tony, Steve and Bruce are standing in. Blue as in, literally blue; cobalt blue skin with strange, linear markings raised in a lighter tone, leading up his arms and down his chest and back, across his face. They get a good view of just how far the lines go because the guy is wearing nothing but some sort of… well, hotpants. Made of black leather, fitting the guy's jet black hair. A pair of deep midnight blue horns curl over the guy's head, decorated with two very delicate silver chains that are woven around the horns in a fishnet pattern. The ends of those two silver chains are connected and hang in a loose V across the guy's forehead with a red drop – crystal, perhaps even ruby – weighing it down in the middle, matching his clear, red eyes. Other than that the guy is wearing no jewelry. He looks a bit like he's here on business, carrying a black satchel and holding a staff that looks a lot like it's made from ice; at the tip it thickens to the size of a fist with a faint, pale blue light glowing in the middle. All in all, there are too many impressions for Tony to deal with at once, so he concentrates on the two main ones: wariness and, well, attraction. The guy is hot, okay, all long legs and lithe grace, and Tony really, really wants to know what that blue skin tastes like, how the guy's aloof face will look when it goes slack with pleasure.

"Friends, may I introduce: Prince Loki Laufeyson, second son of Laufey, King of Jötunheimr," Thor says formally. "These are Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner and Tony Stark."

"Well," Prince Loki says, red eyes seeming to bore into Tony as he sweeps them over him before moving on to his friends. "At last. It seems like you have finally found friends who are vaguely interesting. And it only took you a thousand years too."

"Aww, stop it, you're going to make Steve blush," Tony replies and is promptly elbowed by Steve.

"Tony!" Steve hisses. With a polite smile he then addresses Loki, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Prince Loki."

"Yes, I'm sure," Loki dismisses him. "Now, do you wish to continue to exchange empty pleasantries, or do you wish for me to figure out what petty problem you have encountered?"

"Petty problems win out in that one, I gotta say," Tony says and gestures towards Natasha. "That way, have fun, your Highness."

With a long look aimed at Tony, Loki sweeps past them and into Natasha's room.

"Tony, really!" Steve growls as soon as the Prince is gone. "Do you have to antagonize the only guy who might be able to help us with Natasha?"

Tony frowns. "Oh, come on, Steve. Someone who talks like that can take a little banter. Right, Thor?"

"Yes," Thor confirms hesitantly. "Though with Prince Loki, it is always difficult to tell. He is easily offended."

"Hold yourself back with him from now on," Steve orders, still frowning. "We can't risk Natasha like that."

"I resent that-" Tony starts, he would never risk Natasha; he _knows_ people but he's interrupted by Clint who is more or less literally thrown out of Natasha's room by an invisible force.

"Hey!" he yells and makes as if to go back immediately, but the door slams shut before he can. Cursing, he throws himself against the door and tries to open it but it appears locked.

"Clint!" Taking hold of Clint's shoulder, Steve pulls him back. "He's here to help Natasha, you have to let him!"

"He's a rude motherfucker!" Clint curses, roughly shaking Steve's hand off but making no further attempt to break the door open. Instead he plants himself in front of the window and stares intently through it, watching as Loki slowly walks around the bed, staring down at Natasha with a thoughtful frown. At some point he must have lost his staff because it's nowhere to be seen.

"That may be the case," Steve says calmly, "but do you really care if he's going to help her?"

Clint doesn't reply, but there is no need to. Of course he doesn't.

They all watch as Loki opens his satchel and pulls something out they can't quite see. He puts it on his palm and appears to breathe on it; then he opens Natasha's mouth and places it on her tongue, followed by a few drops of a brownish liquid coming out of a vial. Closing her mouth, he then puts his whole hand on her forehead, closes his eyes and seems to fall into what looks for all intents and purposes like a trance.

And stays that way for hours. Tony is absolutely going crazy with the waiting and not being able to do anything, but he can't exactly leave either, it would drive him even more nuts if he weren't there the moment something changes with Natasha.

Finally, after about three hours, Loki slowly opens his eyes and takes his hand off Natasha's forehead. He moves a little slow as he steps away from the bed and then makes for the door. When he finds them all waiting he looks a little startled. "She is fine now," he tells them. "A spell has been put on her mind, but I dispersed of it. She has fallen into a natural sleep and will wake in her own time. I strongly advise against waking her up, however."

"Why?" Clint asks, suspicious.

Loki barely spares him a glance. "Because she needs the sleep to reorder her mind."

"Okay, cool," Tony steps in. "So, you look a little peaked. Do you need anything? Food? Sleep?"

"Either would not go amiss," Loki admits.

"Cool, come with me, I'll make sure you get whatever you need."

"I'll stay here and wait for Natasha," Steve says. "Thank you, Prince Loki."

"Thank you," Bruce joins in as well. "We really appreciate what you have done."

Looking a little surprised, Loki smiles fleetingly. "It was no trouble." Glancing at Thor, he adds, "I will contact you when I have thought of the appropriate favor you can repay me with, Thor."

"Of course," Thor says with a bow. "Do you wish for me to-"

"No," Loki interrupts. "I do not need for you to escort me."

Clearly not happy with that, Thor nevertheless subsides with a short nod.

"Well, then, come along," Tony says. "Let me know as soon as Natasha wakes up, yes? And you," he addresses Loki, "what do you eat? Is there anything specific you want? Anything you don't want?"

"Plants," Loki says immediately. "Anything that has not been alive in the most recent future."

"Okay, meat, I can do that." Taking out his mobile, Tony calls JARVIS. "Could you get me some delivery on-" pausing, he turns to Loki. "What sort of meat? Steak, cut, grilled, fried, boiled?"

"Raw."

Tony blinks. "Okay. JARVIS? Sushi. Without the rice or the Nori. Just… lots of raw fish." He barely waits for JARVIS' confirmation before hanging up; his AI knows what to do. Seriously, JARVIS is his best invention ever.

"So." Tony mock-salutes to a couple of SHIELD agents they pass by; they stare more or less wide-eyed at Loki, who completely ignores them. "Do you have any special wishes for your accommodations?"

Loki sighs. "No. I have long since grown used to these temperatures; they do not trouble me."

Hm. "That may be the case, but there is a difference between being comfortable and not being bothered. Seriously, out with it, I guarantee I can make it happen – just the time frame may vary."

Turning to look at him, Loki frowns a little. "You are greatly worried about my comfort."

"Well, yeah." Tony rolls his eyes. "I don't know if you got that, but you were our last resort; the only person left who could have helped Natasha. We had no idea at all what was happening with her. Of course I'm grateful." He smiles brightly and waves at a couple of agents; one of them makes as if to approach them but she hesitates for too long and they're out the door before she reaches them.

"But I have extracted an oath from Thor in return," Loki argues. "Whatever effort I put into helping your comrade, I will be – have been – repaid."

"Makes perfect sense to me." Tony glances at the Prince. They're about to leave the air conditioned building and step into the sun, but Loki doesn't look bothered at all so he figures it'll be okay. "You go out of your way to do something for someone, you receive something in return. What sorta oath did you get from Thor?"

"That he would repay me in the form of a favor of my choosing." Loki raises an eyebrow, a faint smile playing around his lips. "It is very rare for me to be presented with such an opportunity. Most people know better than that."

Ah, so he used Thor's position of need for his own advantage. Not exactly gentlemanly, but from the way they treated each other Tony doesn't get the impression that they're best friends exactly, so not surprising either.

They exit the building and Tony spots Happy already waiting for them with the car; good man. JARVIS probably alerted him. Life would be so much more tedious without his AI. "Where to, sir?" Happy asks as he opens the door for them. He doesn't bat an eyelash at Loki because he's much more awesome than anything SHIELD has to offer.

"The mansion," Tony replies as he climbs into the car after Loki. "Drink?"

Loki raises an eyebrow. "A component of your alcohol makes Jötunn less adaptable to temperature."

"Really?" Tony winces. "Wow, that sucks." Also now he can't drink anything either; he was taught manners at one point, okay, he just rarely chooses to use them.

"Yes." Surprisingly, Loki smiles at him, just a tiny thing, looking almost like a grin, but definitely a smile. "You should have been there for the first peace feast Odin invited the Jötunn to after the signing of the peace treaty. They all thought he was trying to poison them; a war nearly broke out, it was hilarious."

"A war nearly broke out during the peace feast?" Tony can't repress his own grin. "That does sound hilarious. What happened?"

Smile fading, Loki looks out the window and shrugs. "I explained the misunderstanding."

So Loki knew about alcohol and why Æsir drink it (which, as far as Tony knows, are the same reasons why Midgardians drink it) when no other Jötunn did? Tony wonders about that, but he tucks the question away. It looks like it's a bit of a sensitive subject. "Lucky you were there, then. Hey, you never replied about the accommodation? Anything you want, don't want? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

Loki glances at him. "I am fine with a bed and a room nobody else will enter while I occupy it."

"And a bathroom," Tony adds. "This is me we're talking about, all my guest rooms have their own bathroom, please." He leans back in his seat and looks at Loki. "So, I have a thousand and one questions about you and where you're from, tell me now if you don't want to talk about it and I'll probably not mention it again for at least an hour."

"Personal questions?" Loki raises an eyebrow.

"Well, more general ones about your physiology – you're my first Jötunn, okay – but now that you're bringing it up, that, too."

For a long moment, Loki just looks at him until even Tony, well-experienced with being stared at, grows a little uncomfortable. Eventually he grants, "You may ask one personal question and three non-personal ones."

Okay. Cool. Tony can do that, he just has to decide if he's going to be inappropriate or not. Better start out slow. "What exactly does Jötunn mean? I don't know anything about your people."

Loki smiles sweetly. "The word means "born of ice" in our language."

"Oh, come on!" Tony whines. "You know that's not what I meant."

And Loki actually laughs, deep and throaty; it sends a shiver down Tony's back and he immediately resolves that he's going to hear it again. "Be more precise in your wording next time, Tony Stark."

"Just Tony, please." He sighs sorrowfully and thinks about it. "What is it like where you live? Jötunheim, don't kill me for the mispronunciation."

"Jötunheimr," Loki corrects. "It is a realm of frost and ice and snow." He raises an eyebrow at Tony, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement.

"Oh, come on!" Tony exclaims again and pouts petulantly. "Really?"

Loki chuckles, but deigns to elaborate a bit. "It is very cold. You humans would not be able to subside even in the temperatures that pose our summer. Even Æsir are not able to survive for long in winter. For us, it's… comfortable. The Æsir present it so Jötunheimr sounds sad and empty, a wasteland, but it is not so. If you know where to look, it is teeming with life. We have different seasons – three, to be exact – and different regions with different weather conditions. The only thing we do not have that the other realms do is plants."

"Huh." Tony frowns thoughtfully, filing that information away – not just what Loki has just told him but that he apparently feels like the Æsir consider the Jötunn and their realm inferior to their own. Not surprising, actually, when Tony thinks about it that's also how Thor has treated some aspects of Midgard, but they had always accepted it because they figured he was right. Asgard's technology _is_ far more advanced than their own, it's a simple fact, even if Tony is doing his best to remedy that.

"You have two questions left," Loki points out, leaning back and stretching his legs out. Tony tries for a moment not to ogle him but then he gives up; the guy is gorgeous, honestly, and the blue skin just adds an otherworldliness that Tony finds quite attractive, to be honest.

"I'm saving up the personal question for later, if you don't mind," Tony says, letting his eyes wander up and down Loki's body, from his unusually long toes to the tips of his horns. He notices drops of ruby (or red crystal, whatever) dangling from the silver chains there as well; it's both pretty and vaguely morbid, the way they're clearly meant to symbolize blood drops.

Mouth curling up, Loki looks at Tony from the corner of his eyes. He definitely noticed Tony's interests. "It remains to be seen whether I will answer your question later or not."

"Well, that's something I'm gonna have to risk." Tony raises an eyebrow. He's definitely going to save that question up; he can't think of anything good right now and he hates fishing in the dark. "So, about that last question…" Tony leans in a little, licking his lower lip. When the slight smile playing around Loki's lips widens, he takes a leap. "How are you guys on inter-species relationships?"

"Not too keen, in general," Loki replies. "However, I, as their Prince, am more… open." He smirks at his own pun.

Tony laughs. "Good to know." He glances out the window; they're almost there but it'd be too sleazy even for him to sleep with the guy who helped Natasha before knowing for sure if she's safe. Besides, Loki does look a little peaked, as far as Tony can tell. He'd rather Loki be a hundred percent aware when they get down to business. "Okay, listen. I'm going to go back to check on Natasha, but JARVIS will tell you where everything is, including food and your room. You got any questions, ask him. Make yourself at home, and we'll come back to this once Natasha has woken up and we're both rested, that sound good to you?"

Sighing, Loki acquiesces. "Fine." The car rolls to a stop and Loki opens the door, climbing out and shutting it behind him.

"Back to SHIELD's office," Tony tells Happy; as the car turns around and rolls off the property Tony watches Loki walk to the door and vanish into the house. Oh, right, he almost forgot; he calls JARVIS and tells him to treat Loki as a guest, give him whatever he wants and if he can't, call Tony. JARVIS will know what to do, honestly, he's priceless.

It takes nine hours for Natasha to wake up; all of them stay and wait. Of course they stay and wait; it's a thing they do. One of them comes off a dangerous, even life-threatening injury, you bet your ass they're going to wait around in the hospital. And Natasha might not be injured physically, but this was a close one and they all know it.

Still, when she wakes up it's sort of anticlimactic. She stirs and opens her eyes and blinks and sits up and then tells them all how creepy they are for watching her sleep. "Honestly," she says. "I think we all need to go outside and if one of you glitters in the sunlight I'm getting an axe, don't think I won't."

Everybody is much relieved, suffice to say. SHIELD's doctors put Natasha through a number of tests but apart from the bruises from the battle and a slight concussion, she's fine. She doesn't recall precisely what the spell did to her, but her face goes dark when they ask so they know that what little she remembers is not pleasant.

The doctors, of course, insist on keeping her there, despite how much she wants to go home. Natasha, in turn, insists on the rest of the team going home, no matter how much they offer to stay. Only Clint won't be swayed; Tony, Steve, Thor and Bruce eventually file into a car and have SHIELD drive them to the mansion. By this point they're too exhausted for much of anything and go straight to bed.

Tony wakes up a couple of hours later in the very early morning (or perhaps very late evening, he's fuzzy on definitions like tat) feeling groggy and battered, but a little less dead on his feet. He takes a hot shower and two cups of coffee; after that he slowly starts to feel human again. He calls in to ask how Natasha's doing – fine, not at all tired despite it being technically night so her sleep rhythm is all shot to hell, annoyed with the hospital food that even at SHIELD's private hospital ward is bland and cooked to death. Just as Tony finishes the call Loki wanders into the kitchen, looking perfectly comfortable in the low light despite his unfamiliarity with his surroundings. The silvery moonlight falling in through the window gives his skin an unearthy glow; he looks delectable.

"Oh, hello," he says with a smile that indicates that this isn't much of a chance meeting.

Quirking his lips, Tony ends the call with a cheeky remark to Natasha about having Clint entertain her if she's so bored before focusing fully on Loki. "Hey. Are you awake again or haven't gone to sleep yet?" And now that he thinks about it, what was Loki been doing all these hours? Tony can hardly ask JARVIS in front of him.

"The former," Loki replies, getting a plastic take-away container containing strips of salmon cut much like they are for those sushi pieces with fish on top from the fridge, as well as a pair of chopsticks. "We Jötunn do not require much sleep."

Tony nods absently; he'll probably ask about that at one point but not right now. "Good?" he asks, eying the fish and the way Loki exhibits perfect chopstick technique despite the fact that he probably learned at most half a day ago how to do it.

"A little soft," Loki comments, "which did take some time to get used to, but I do like the way it melts on the tongue. It is almost... sensual."

Ah. "Is it? I have never heard salmon described that way," Tony murmurs, leaning in a little and allowing himself to watch closely as Loki's lips wrap around the chopsticks, then slide down slowly. _That_ definitely is sensual.

Loki smiles, most assuredly having done that on purpose, and looks at him out of the corners of his eyes. Their color, a deep, ruby red, should be off-putting but in reality Tony only finds him only all the more appealing for it. Loki is different, alien in a way Thor doesn't appear to be, svelte and elegant, yet arrogant and rude; Tony finds the latter as captivating as the former. Generally he likes his sex partners forgettable but every now and then the exception to the rule comes along, and Loki is definitely one such exception. Tony can't remember the last time he was this fascinated by someone.

"I think, Tony," Loki says, voice dark and a little raspy like espresso-flavored Peruvian chocolate, "there are a number of new experiences in your near future."

Hell to the yes.

After that there is no point pretending any longer; in less than half a minute they end up in Tony's bedroom. Loki's mouth tastes of fish, which reminds Tony of the cooling cup of coffee and the container of warming fish left forgotten on the kitchen table, but only for a moment before he's occupied with much more important things. Under his coffee-warmed hands Loki feels very cold, almost freezing, but when he presses their bodies together he's merely cool to the touch, not so cold as to be worrying. Tony's dick certainly isn't going to fall off should he fuck him.

Growing dizzy with the lack of oxygen Tony finally rips his mouth away from Loki's, gasping for breath. Immediately Loki is on him, mouthing down his throat until he's scraping his teeth along his collarbone. Tony moans encouragingly and slides his leg further up Loki's body; as soon as the door shut behind them Loki was on him, hot in eagerness, if not in temperature. Immediately Tony had wrapped one leg around his, because that's sort of his default reaction to someone bodily pushing him into the wall with their pelvis. Especially if that someone is all slinky and hot and definitely capable of holding him up.

Loki's skin tastes different than human skin, Tony finds when he licks across his shoulder. Not different in a tangible way – Loki doesn't taste of cinnamon or vanilla or any other taste Tony has a name for – but definitely different. Tony likes it, he likes it a lot, so he licks some more, nibbles a little. The gasp escaping Loki at the first touch of teeth is very rewarding so Tony does it again, scraping down the sensitive skin below Loki's armpit, not quite chest and not quite anything else either. So far it appears Loki works the same as humans, as far as sensitivity to touch is concerned; his hotspots are where he's vulnerable, the skin thin or where there is not much muscle. All in all Loki appears to be as reactive to touch as a human, even if his skin is a little less soft, more elastic. Oh, Tony is loving this; he can't wait to find more of Loki's soft spots.

They make it to the bed, if slowly. Somehow Tony loses his shirt in the process, though he cannot remember how; Loki's tongue is in his mouth again, cool hands on Tony's skin, doing away with much of his rational thought. Loki is still wearing those hotpants; Tony has yet to find a way to open them but he has pushed them down in the back for a healthy grope of Loki's small yet delectable ass. Taking that as the unsubtle hint it is, Loki pushes Tony's knees further apart and settles between them, rolls his hips in a way that makes Tony seriously lose his concentration for a moment, as well as his breath.

"Okay," he gasps, bites his lower lip and tries to push his track pants down without pushing Loki off him; with some seriously suggestive moves on both their parts they manage, finally leaving them on the same level clothing-wise; Loki in his ridiculously hot tiny shorts and Tony in his boxers.

Loki seems to approve of that, even if he is a little backwards about letting Tony know; "So many layers", he murmurs with clear distaste and carelessly throws the pants away.

"It's a thing," Tony gasps but he doesn't feel like discussing the meaning and purpose of clothing and how it changed overtime, so he pulls Loki back in at the neck and occupies their mouths otherwise. The hint of salmon is only very faint anymore, leaving Loki tasting faintly sweet, otherworldly. Tony absently wonders what his come tastes like and the thought electrifies him; suddenly far too impatient with the pace he flips them over until he's straddling Loki. Sliding down his body, he hooks his fingers in those tantalizing hotpants and barely waits long enough for Loki's hastily nodded approval before pulling them down.

He didn't really expect anything weird; the thought occurred to him (and was not off-putting at all; quite the opposite, really) but the bulge Loki thrust against him had felt pretty familiar. And Loki's cock looks pretty familiar as well; it lacks foreskin and the head is less flared but apart from the color – a rich, deep blue – it looks pretty much as expected. What Loki lacks, however, is balls. Literally.

"Oh," Loki makes when Tony eyes him curiously. His voice wavers a little, betraying his insecurity, but he readily spreads his legs when Tony moves between them to get a better look. Loki's cock is long and hard, curving upwards and glistening a little in the moonlight, but Tony suddenly has a very good view and can see that below Loki has a vagina, Tony is pretty sure that's what it is. That he certainly did not expect.

"I suppose," Loki says after a moment, affecting a tone of stiff annoyance but Tony wonders just how real that annoyance is and if it might actually be more of a front to hide that insecurity Tony heard earlier. "We do not have to continue, if you so wish."

"Oh, we definitely do," Tony says, voice rasping in his throat, but damn, this might very well be the hottest sight of his life. Then he collects himself and looks up. "That is, if you want to."

"I would not be here if I did not," Loki returns, again with that annoyance, but he's definitely more relaxed now and Tony didn't even notice him tense up.

"Good." Biting his lower lip, Tony considers what he wants to do. The answer is, pretty much anything so he maybe ought to try to limit himself from the other end. "Is there anything you don't wanna do?"

"What is it you want to do?" Loki asks, and he looks definitely relaxed now, even a little smug. So Tony is pretty bad at hiding how much he wants him; he doesn't care. This is already in his top ten hottest sexual encounters and they have barely gotten started.

"Well," Tony says, leaning over him and licking his lips. Loki's eyes immediately zone in on them and he swallows, making Tony smile; two can play this game. "I want to ride you, and I want to _ride_ you. I want to suck you, and lick you; I want to make you come so hard you almost pass out. You game?"

In lieu of replying, Loki pulls Tony up and into a passionate kiss, pushing his boxers off with his feet and fuck, Tony nearly goes cross-eyed at this demonstration of just how bendy he is. With no layers between them the skin on skin contact is even more glorious; especially to his heated skin Loki feels cool but it's delicious and for a moment Tony loses himself in the sensation, mindlessly rolling his hips into Loki's. Only when Loki moans does Tony remember himself enough to stop because yes, he wanted to achieve that, but with a little more self-control than this.

A little reluctantly but determined, Tony pulls off Loki and resists when Loki tries to pull him back, even if the dismayed noise he makes is seriously tempting his resolve. But he wants to get his mouth somewhere else, and so he kisses his way down Loki's body, flicking his tongue out here and there to collect the way he tastes and reacts. His belly seems to be an especially sensitive area, soft (though not as soft as a human's) and very sensitive, if the way Loki halfway curls up before collapsing back on the mattress with a groan as his strength leaves him is anything to go by. Tony scrapes his teeth over his skin again, earning himself a very nice moan. When he dips the tip of his tongue into Loki's bellybutton the reaction is even more intense; Loki gasps and goes still as a shiver visibly runs through his whole body, leaving him a little floppy and a little dazed by the time Tony lets up. It's heady, the reactions Tony gets from Loki; they're rarely quite what he expects and always better.

Loki merely twitches when Tony mouths his way down his pelvis, licking up the smears of clear liquid left behind by his cock, but when Tony completely without warning sucks his cock into his mouth Loki all but screams, curling up and cupping Tony's head with both hands. Not pulling him off, not at all, in fact they almost urge him further down but Loki appears to regain some of his composure at the last moment and lets Tony decide his own pace. Not that Tony needs much encouragement; he has perfected this move a long time ago and thus skilfully sucks Loki's cock into his mouth all the way down until his nose bumps against Loki's belly. With a wretched sound Loki collapses back on the mattress and lies there panting, fingers tense in Tony's hair but not painfully so. He honest to god _shivers_ when Tony pulls off enough to take a breath, swirling his tongue around the head of Loki's cock, tiny breathy noises escaping the Jötunn's throat. It's heady, having him react like that, especially after how pointedly in control and aloof Loki has been all this time. Tony almost decides to make him come just from this but he wants to- god, he really wants to eat Loki out. This is better than a mixed gender threesome. And since he doesn't know how this works, if Loki can get it up again and how sensitive he gets after, Tony decides to err on the side of caution. So, when Loki's voice turns higher and higher and the muscles of his thighs under Tony's hands go tense, Tony pulls off with an obscene slurp.

"Tony-" Loki gasps and the temptation is so bad Tony almost sucks him back into his mouth. He actually needs to put his mouth to Loki's thigh, dig his teeth into the sensitive skin close to his pelvis while he squeezes his own cock, groaning at the waves of pleasure chasing through him. Loki shivers and whines but they both come down enough things won't be over too quickly.

"How often can you come?" Tony rasps, voice rough from Loki's cock. To make sure Loki catches his meaning he slides one hand up, brushing his fingertips along the sides of Loki's opening, too soft to be much stimulation. Loki is wet there, warmer than anywhere else, even his cock. Tony can't wait to get his mouth on him.

Loki makes a noise high in his throat; his eyes are wide and somewhere between pleading and demanding when he looks down his body at Tony. "Until I don't want to anymore, so make it happen," he hisses. If it weren't for the way his thighs tremble underneath Tony's hands, he'd have little idea just how much Loki wants it.

Tony smirks up at him and licks his lips; Loki's eyes widen and a whine escapes his throat. For a brief moment he seems abashed by his own eagerness but Tony doesn't give him any more time for embarrassment. He spreads Loki's legs wider than they already are, leans in and licks his tongue in a broad swipe up Loki's opening.

Loki gasps, head dropping back down. He tastes sweet; Tony didn't have much opportunity to taste his cock, he was too occupied blowing Loki's brains out, but it was the same taste as Loki's mouth. Here it's the strongest; Tony quite likes it, likes the difference. He licks again, more delicate this time, the tip of his tongue dipping into the folds in slow, languid licks, getting bolder each time. As far as he can tell it's a vagina as Tony is familiar with, if a little smaller. He wonders if that means Loki will be tighter; the mere thought of fucking him makes him shiver and push his cock into the mattress to head off some of his impatience. Above him Loki is moaning, low and breathy, thighs trembling under Tony's hands as his tongue explores. Much sooner than Tony had expected Loki starts to tense, gasping for breath; Tony pushes his tongue further in and oh, yes, Loki even has a clit, perfect. And all he needs is for Tony to flick his tongue across it once before he abruptly goes tense, groaning loudly as he comes.

Very satisfied with that, Tony hums approvingly and gentles the strokes of his tongue for a bit while Loki gasps and comes down from it, shivering under Tony's hands. His cock is still hard and he hasn't come there, which means Tony is pretty sure Loki has two ways to come – three, possibly, if he has a prostate and can come just from that. A heady thought.

"Tony," Loki demands, pulling at his hair. Tony follows the demand and pulls back, licks his lips, wipes his chin with the back of his hand before following the pull the hand in his hair. Loki meets him in the middle, mouth wild and demanding on Tony's at the same time as one of his hands sneaks down between Tony's legs and takes hold of his cock. Not having expected that at all Tony twitches and moans, involuntarily jerking his hips up into Loki's hand.

Before he knows it Loki has flipped them around, is straddling Tony's thighs; he bites Tony's lower lip less than gently before moving down, licking along Tony's throat. His hand is still on Tony's cock, grip too soft to be truly satisfying even as he moves up and down, flicks his thump over the head. Tony whines and arches up; he's too far gone to deal with this, he needs- and oh, Loki is sucking a mark into his collarbone, and it's not accidental, he's doing it on purpose, knowing very well what he's doing.

"Loki," Tony gasps, thrusting his hips up again. He needs a little more friction, just a little bit, but instead of giving it to him Loki lets go. But Tony only barely has time enough to whimper before Loki's hand is back on him, but with purpose this time as he positions himself and sinks down.

Caught entirely off-guard by the maneuver Tony groans, wide-eyed, and automatically thrusts up. He was right when he imagined it earlier, Loki is tight, much tighter than Tony is used to, and barely warm around his cock and he's so wet, Tony slides in so smoothly he's in to the root before he knows it. Loki's eyes are fixed on him, wide and dark and almost feverish, and Tony- shit, Tony almost comes right then. Clenching his hands into Loki's hips – how did they even get there? – he closes his eyes and bites his lower lip, right into the pulsating spot where Loki nipped him earlier, takes a deep breath and manages to regain his composure.

With it, he remembers something very important; he can't believe he forgot it, he never has before. "Condom," he gasps.

Loki stills where he was starting to move up and blinks at him. "What?" He narrows his eyes. "My name is Loki."

It's Tony's turn to blink. "What? Oh- no, that's a thing to put on my cock so you won't get pregnant and we don't transmit any diseases." If Loki does the pregnancy thing. The vagina sort of implies that, doesn't it? An intriguing thought. Does he grow breasts too? That'd be hot.

For a moment Loki eyes him, then sighs and moves off. "If you insist. Where is this condom you need?"

With an unhappy noise Tony rolls over, hastily digs into his nightstand and gets out a foil packet. Within seconds he has ripped it open, rolled the condom down and is back on Loki, who has been sitting there watching him curiously and a bit dubiously. They kiss for a moment, tongues clashing, before Tony tries to guide Loki on his back but Loki won't let him. Instead he shifts Tony to sit back on his knees with a hand on his hip, the other on Tony's shoulder, and then straddles his lap, slides Tony's cock back into himself. They both moan into each other's mouths; Loki is almost trembling, gasping for air, eyes half-lidded.

Even having expected it this time Loki still feels incredible around him, tight and wet and obviously eager. When he shifts up a little Tony's hands almost automatically find their way back to Loki's hips, grip tight as they roll their hips together, slowly finding a rhythm. It builds up between them, slowly, seductively, taking Tony's breath away. He pants into Loki's mouth, his sweet taste on his tongue as they slowly gain speed, more force. Wrapping his arms around Tony's shoulders Loki leans back, mouth open as he pants for breath. The moonlight glitters in his red eyes, the gem of the same color on his forehead, the silvery chains wrapped around his horns while the faint glow of the arc reactor gives his skin a light blue, silky hue. Tony stares at him and has fantasies of Loki sucking his cock while he holds on to the horns, guides his head by them; he moans and bites his lower lip again. He's close, very close, and he wants Loki to come with him. Reaching between their bodies he takes hold of Loki's cock, starts to jack him to the rhythm of their hips. Loki gasps and his eyes flutter; they go blurry as he leans his head back, baring his throat. Tony can't help it; he leans in, licks up Loki's neck, feels the pulse thunder under his skin.

With a jolt, Loki's body tightens around him; he groans, gasps Tony's name, his come spilling out wet and cool between them. Tony feels his shivers, feels Loki go lax but he holds on, keeps rolling his hips against Tony's until Tony comes, just a few thrusts later.

They both pant into each other's mouths, Loki like jelly in Tony's arms and Tony doesn't feel much better. He only barely manages to settle them down on the mattress without dropping ungracefully and then they lie there half on top of each other gasping for breath, shivering with aftershocks.

"So," Tony says once he's breathing remotely normal again. He's deliciously lethargic at the same time as he feels energized; this was a really good round and he definitely wants a repeat performance. "Up for round two?"

Loki laughs. He looks relaxed, almost carefree and very satisfied; it looks very good on him. "You think highly of yourself." Reaching out, he carefully brushes his fingertips over the dark circles under Tony's eyes. "But I am certain you would fall asleep before you have managed to make me come again."

Well, that's a challenge if Tony's ever heard one. Loki's eyes widen when Tony abruptly rolls on top of him, gives him a quick kiss on the mouth before sliding down and diving between his legs. Loki is incredibly slick and Tony takes great delight in licking him up, hearing him gasp and feeling him tremble under his tongue, especially when Tony thrusts in as deep as he can. His teeth scrape over Loki's sensitive skin, earning him a moan; on his next thrust in he has a finger join his tongue, push even deeper inside. Loki groans and his hips twitch, one of his hands finding its way into Tony's hair again as Tony pulls his tongue out, uses it for finesse, driving Loki nuts with tiny licks while his finger thrusts in again and again. It takes longer than before, Loki's body sated, but finally, after a few minutes of Tony working his clit over, Loki is gasping and moaning, hips twitching, and when Tony uses his free hand to spread him open for better access it's only a question of time. With a tiny scream Loki comes, hips rolling in involuntary circles as he twitches and tightens.

Feeling rather self-satisfied, Tony sits up and god, he wishes he could get it up again so soon; Loki looks delectable, splayed as he lies, thoroughly debauched. But no matter how much he wants to, biology doesn't work that way and so Tony has to satisfy himself with committing the image to memory. He wipes his mouth and licks his lips, grins when Loki blinks up at him dazedly. "Couldn't fall asleep as long as I'm between your legs."

Loki huffs and tries to look annoyed but he's still coming off another orgasm; it looks like it's all he can do not to smile stupidly. It's quite the ego-trip but Tony tries to keep the smugness at bay; arrogance is only sexy to a certain point. So he leans back and busies himself with getting rid of the condom, fishes his shirt from the floor to wipe Loki somewhat clean. And maybe Loki was partially right; Tony really could fall asleep right this moment but he makes a point of staying awake as he lies down and gets comfortable. He lies on his side so he can watch Loki come down, thinks about all the things he wants to do to him; he's by far not done and the longer he looks at Loki, the more he can think of, what with the way Loki blinks at him through his eyelashes, lazy and sated.

"Well," Loki says eventually, lips curling into a satisfied smile. "I might have underestimated you a little."

"Just a little?" Tony raises an eyebrow, allows himself a small grin.

Loki rolls his eyes. "I shall not feed your ego, clearly that is the last thing you need."

Grin widening, Tony leans in a little. "So, tell me, when you came earlier, was that a double orgasm?"

Loki rolls his eyes again, even more exaggerated this time, but he does deign to reply. "As I'm sure you are aware." He smiles sensually, bites his lower lip. "Nearly instantaneous, those are my favorites. When they come right after one another, but not simultaneously."

"Well," Tony licks his lips. "I will remember that."

"You do that." Loki' voice is low, nearly a purr as he leans in, kisses him. It's slow-burning and definitely a promise for more, later. They're going to do this again.

"So," Tony murmurs after the kiss has petered off, both of them nearly on the brink of sleep; he continues talking to prove that he's not asleep yet. "I couldn't help but notice that you don't really sweat." He reaches out to touch Loki's hair, tangled and dry. "Why is that?"

"Sweat is meant to cool the body, is it not," Loki murmurs without opening his eyes. "What need would a Jötunn have of that in an ice desert? Now sleep, you have proven yourself sufficiently to me."

Tony follows the suggestion, settling down. Just as he's about to close his eyes Loki opens one of his to a slit, peers at him, the one corner of his mouth visible curling up. "For now."

Tony chuckles and bumps his chin against Loki's shoulder before finally drifting off.

A couple of hours later he wakes up to an empty bed; remembering what Loki said about Jötunn not requiring much sleep he's not surprised, if a little disappointed that there will be no sleepy morning sex, it actually being proper morning now and all. He takes another quick shower, feeling rather rejuvenated after the rest and sex, and heads to the kitchen for some coffee and food. Not having found anything else immediate enough for his taste, Tony is eating peach halves from a can when Thor, Bruce and Steve file in, all within five minutes of each other which makes Tony lazily contemplate the possibility of a threesome going on right under his nose. It would be both disappointing – if there are threesomes happening under his roof, why isn't he part of them? – and entertaining. At least both Steve and Thor can definitely handle the Hulk, especially together.

He nods at them, exchanges some pleasantries while inwardly debating whether he should go look for Loki or down to the lab to work through the damage his suit took in the fight. He's almost about to decide to go find Loki when JARVIS says, sounding a little alarmed (which is alarming), "Sir, Prince Loki is about to- never mind, sir."

Right. Maybe Tony should have checked up on what the Jötunn was doing in their absence. He sits up abruptly. "Where is he? What did he do?"

"You told me to accommodate him as much as possible, sir," JARVIS tells him. "He wanted somewhere to experiment, so I set him up in the guest lab."

"O-kay," Tony says, sharing a wide-eyed look with Bruce. "What's he doing?"

"He created an unknown chemical substance that seems to have similar effects as ethylene glycol," JARVIS explains. "Both in toxicity and in its effects on water's state of aggregation."

Bruce and Tony stare at each other. "Okay, so, I'm about to have a serious science boner here. Did he know what he was doing? Gimme the breakdown."

"After he arrived yesterday and ate, he slept for two hours. Then he said he was growing bored, so I introduced the TV to him. He caught the tail-end of a documentary on the periodic table and, when he wished for further information, I invited him to the spare office and suggested the internet. After several hours of research, during which he watched several youtube videos, he grew bored once more and took a break. Once he returned he expressed his wish to test for himself some of the things he learned, so I suggested the lab. I… honestly am unsure as to what happened next, however. My apologies."

Holy fuck. Loki, too fast for JARVIS? Nevermind that Tony knows exactly what Loki did during his "break"; Tony's science boner just became a real thing. He must have made some sort of indecent noise because everybody is staring at him; Bruce looks amused and understanding, Steve vaguely scandalized and Thor… sort of pissed off, but in a sullen way. It's an expression Tony hasn't seen on Thor's face before, and he sort of wants to know what the deal is with Thor and Loki but, well, he's distracted. Seriously distracted. "What's he doing now? If it looks like he's about to create nuclear fission, shut him down, we don't want that today." They have protocols on how dangerous the stuff one can get up to in the guest lab can be but clearly Loki operates outside their guidelines.

"Yes, sir. Mr. Stark… I am unsure how to proceed. Prince Loki took the liquid he created and drank it, but he appears to be fine."

"He drank it?!" Tony and Bruce both jump up. "Why didn't you say so immediately? Does he know it's poisonous? Fuck." If a prince dies in Tony's lab it's going to create a diplomatic disaster of unknown proportions. Also, they haven't by far done everything Tony had planned on doing.

"Sir, he appears fine. He drank it several minutes ago, despite my attempts to stop him. He says he knows what it does to Midgardian bodies, but his body is not Midgardian so I need not worry. I can see the soundness of his argument. Just now he created ice cubes that do not appear to melt, despite his creation's properties. I did attempt to warn you, sir, but it was too late."

"Tony, what's going on?" Steve asks. "What did Prince Loki make?"

"Something like anti-freeze," Tony replies absently. "And something impossible, just now, apparently. I'm going to talk to him." Seriously, ice cubes in anti-freeze? It sounds like a joke.

"He is coming up, sir."

"Great. Phew." Tony puts a hand on the arc reactor and sits down again, sharing a look with Bruce. "Seriously. I'm not up to dealing with this kind of shock after yesterday."

Shortly later, Loki steps into the room, carrying a glass beaker containing a bluish-clear liquid and a couple of ice cubes. "Oh, hello," he says, looking vaguely surprised. "I see you are all here. Your comrade has awoken, then?" It's clearly just a formality; Loki is perfectly sure of his success, after all he heard Tony talk to Natasha earlier.

"Yeah, couple of hours ago." Tony eyes the beaker. "JARVIS told me about your creation. Sure that's not going to kill you?"

"What do you think I am made of?" One eyebrow raised, Loki pointedly takes a sip. "To subside in Jötunheimr's temperatures."

"Anti-freeze, really? Isn't that sort of poisonous for other people?" Especially during sex, where the exchange of body fluids is sort of a given. And they sort of did have a lot of body fluid exchanging going on earlier. Tony feels fine but there is such a thing as slow poisoning, he should know.

Loki rolls his eyes and wanders over to the fridge. "Just don't drink my blood. If you wish to engage in activities that might result in that, I'll have to take one of my other forms. Is there more of that fish?"

"If you didn't eat it all yesterday, yes."

Loki pouts and closes the fridge door again; he affects a sort of long-suffering expression when Tony pats the seat next to him, but sits down. He glances at the others, then eyes the remains of their breakfast, both with the same sort of vague disdain.

"You can have JARVIS order more," Tony offers. "What other forms?"

"I would be grateful if you could do that, JARVIS. The same as yesterday, only perhaps a bit… more."

"Yes, sir."

"He really is quite useful," Loki tells Tony. "Incredibly helpful and yet unobtrusive."

"I know." And so few other people realize it. Tony can't help but smile brilliantly at Loki, who isn't creeped out by the bodiless voice or the fact that JARVIS is always present and sees everything.

"If you don't mind my asking," Bruce speaks up unexpectedly, "how did you make that?" He gestures towards Loki's beaker.

Loki shrugs. "I was thirsty and I am not overly impressed with your water. Some research yielded the information I needed, Tony had the required ingredients available, I put them together in the right manner."

For a moment Bruce just looks at him; Tony is eighty percent sure he's having his very own science boner right now. Only eighty percent because with Bruce it's kinda hard to tell sometimes, but Tony is reasonably sure they're in the same boat here. And when Bruce awkwardly clears his throat and asks a completely banal question, he's sure of it.

"Do you not have water on… where you're from?"

"Jötunheimr," Loki says. "And yes, we do, but it generally is solid."

"Jötunheimr's ice never melts," Thor unexpectedly involves himself with a dark look aimed at Tony that honestly takes him aback a little. Thor has never glared at him like that.

"Not quite, but that is all an Æsir needs to know," Loki says, raising an eyebrow at Thor.

Thor blinks and abruptly looks a little crestfallen. "Loki-"

"No," Loki interrupts firmly, not even deigning to look at Thor, pointedly turning back to Tony. "There is nothing I wish to hear from you, Prince Thor."

"Okay," Tony says loudly because Thor looks a mix of sad and angry and Loki coolly unapproachable. "You guys wanna tell me what the heck this is about?"

"Is that your personal question?" Loki asks archly.

Tony narrows his eyes and considers it for a moment but no, he's not gonna waste that one like this; he has a feeling people don't often get this sort of opportunity with Loki and he's not going to waste it on that. So he shakes his head. "Nope, gonna save that one up for another time."

"Then I have nothing to say." Abruptly, Loki rises and stalks off; the last they hear of him is him telling JARVIS in the hallway to alert him when the food arrives.

Not at all pleased by this development – they were getting along so well and heading straight back to the bedroom, Tony is sure of it – Tony turns to Thor and raises one eyebrow. "Well?"

"It is none of your concern," Thor says stiffly.

"The hell it is," Tony argues sharply. "You've been glaring me ever since I started flirting with the guy. There's clearly history between you two." But that's getting him nowhere; Thor's face takes on a mulish expression Tony isn't used to seeing on him at all. Better not tell him that the horse has already long since bolted on that one.

Exhaling sharply, he leans forwards and tries a different tactic, with a softer voice. "Come on, Thor. We're friends. You clearly don't want me to make a move. Why? Is he married? Does he kill children and eat them for breakfast? Anything else wrong with him?"

"No." Thor shakes his head and frowns down into his cup for a moment before looking up. "My apologies, my friend. Loki and I... as you say, there is history. There is _nothing_ wrong with Loki." He narrows his eyes. "If you hurt him, however, I will be forced to exact retribution from you, brother in arms or no." With that statement, he rises as well and stalks off.

"Wow," Bruce says, sounding stunned. "You really know how to pick 'em, Tony."

Did that seriously just happen? Did Thor simultaneously give Tony his blessing _and_ threaten him?

"Is Thor in love with Loki?" Tony demands, looking back and forth between Steve and Bruce. Surely the two of them will be better able to tell than Tony; they're good at this whole being in touch with your emotions shtick. "Is that what's going on here? Because it's the only thing I can think of."

Steve shrugs helplessly, but he looks confused as well. "I have no idea, Tony, sorry."

"Either way, this seems a bit too messy for your usual modus operandi," Bruce says with absolutely no judgment – and truthfully, too. Tony prefers his "no strings attached"s with seriously no strings attached. Strings such as names.

He frowns, thoroughly unhappy with that. Yeah, this clearly is a mess already when it barely started, but he really doesn't want to back off. Loki's hot, smart and an enigma in more ways than one; he's fascinating and an absolute firecracker in bed. How could Tony steer clear of him, especially after what already happened between them?

If he were smart, he would. Clearly there is something going on between Loki and Thor – even if Loki's general involvement seems to be pushing Thor away while Thor does something that, in hindsight, looks a lot like pining – and Tony shouldn't get involved. It'll only cause discord between him and Thor and thus within the whole team.

Too bad that Tony really isn't one to listen to _shouldn't_. Especially since it's too late already anyway.

So, when Loki's sushi order arrives, Tony takes it and, after storing most of it in the fridge, heads to Loki's room. He finds Loki on the balcony, staring off into the distance with his face pulled into a vague frown. In the bright morning light he should look out of place but he doesn't, hair dark like shadows at midday and skin blue like the sky at night. When Tony steps out onto the balcony he glances at him; in the sunlight his eyes look on fire.

Seeing that Loki doesn't appear to be in the best of moods Tony raises the sushi take-out containers like a peace offering. It earns him an almost smile and probably free passage, because Loki sits down on the lounger and appears to be expecting Tony to take a seat next to him. Tony isn't dumb enough not to take that opportunity, or to make Loki reconsider by asking any questions. Instead he settles back, watches Loki eat the fish and eschew the packets of pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce. Loki lets himself be watched, chewing his meal with an expression of contentment on his face while he looks out at the view.

"So," Tony says eventually, once he figures Loki has eaten enough to not react too crankily. "I figure you wanna eat something else at one point, right? Not just fish twenty-four seven."

"I am starting to like it," Loki says, "but you do have a point, yes."

"You only eat raw meat, right?"

"Essentially, yes." Loki raises an eyebrow, looking at Tony with an expression a mix of cool curiosity and expectation, like Tony is supposed to react a certain way. Only Tony has no idea what Loki actually wants from him, and anyway he's not into mind games.

So he shrugs and says, "Let me take you somewhere then."

"I do like this," Loki says two hours later, thoughtfully chewing on a piece of raw kobe beef. So far he has shown varying levels of acceptance for different types of beef, completely eschewed lamb, octopus and eel, and picked various types of fish. The butcher whose place Tony shut down for the duration of their stay (against a healthy compensation, of course) has gotten over his shock at Loki's appearance, the disgust when Loki started trying out anything he had on offer without any sort of cooking process beforehand, and is now firmly in "Imma just pretend this is normal" territory. He brings vaguely bite-sized cuts of meat and offers them to Loki, one of his assistants making notes of everything Loki likes. Pretty soon they're going to start in on birds, and then things are going to get more exotic.

Loki clearly is loving it. He grins, displaying his sharp teeth in a way he hadn't until this point. Tony had no idea his teeth were that dangerous-looking – and he had had his tongue in Loki's mouth. It should probably be a little worrying but actually Tony finds it thrilling more than anything else. "It is regrettable," he says, "that hunting appears to not be common practice anymore in this realm. There is nothing quite like digging your teeth into a freshly made kill."

"Oh, I'm sure," Tony says. "Just sounds a little... bloody."

"Yes, isn't it delicious." Loki licks his lips. "Now what is this? It looks a little... sickly."

"Chicken," the butcher replies. "A domesticated bird."

"So much domestication," Loki murmurs, pokes the strip of chicken breast the butcher presented to him on a plate, then takes a bite out of it.

A couple of hours they leave the butcher with several pounds of fresh meat and a standing order for a daily delivery of more for the nearest future. Turns out Loki had considered himself to be under some sort of diet during his stay here what with the size of the portions and the eating with utensils and to actually make him happy, he needs much bigger portions. The butcher seems thrilled about it – he'll earn quite a bit with this – and Loki clearly is as well. Tony has to keep him from digging into his bag in the car to take "just a teeny tiny snack", and then inform him of human ideas of cleanliness, especially where raw meat is concerned. Loki pouts a bit about it but Tony thinks it's mostly for show.

Back at the mansion Tony tries to get Loki into the lab to show him what he did to produce his liquid – he has since procured more of it, and his ice cubes seem to never melt – but Loki plays hard to get, has him watch while he cuts up a selection of his meat that he mixes up with some left-over fish in a bowl, and then he deigns to use a fork to eat so he won't have to wash his hands every time he wants to touch something (which is pretty much the only rule Tony gave him; anything that comes into contact with raw meat has to be washed before it touches anything else).

"Come on," Tony needles when Loki finally is done preparing his food.

"Have patience, Tony, can you not see that I am eating," Loki chides, eating a forkful with an exaggerated expression of enjoyment. And then he moans, even more exaggeratedly.

Tony watches for a moment, then shifts uncomfortably, because he has heard Loki make sounds like that before and it was some of the best sex he has had in all his life. Just when he's about to say something – he's sure Loki is doing this on purpose, there is no way he's not – Thor strolls in. As soon as he spots them he stops in his tracks.

"Hey, Thor, buddy," Tony says with forced cheer; he feels incredibly awkward all of a sudden, knowing now about Thor's little crush on Loki and also very aware of what he and Loki did a couple of hours ago. What they were heading straight back to just now, he's sure.

"Friend Tony," Thor says with a nod and none of his usual joviality. "Prince Loki."

"Prince Thor," Loki returns without looking up from his bowl of meat.

An awkward silence reigns while Thor goes to make himself some poptarts. While he waits for them to pop out of the toaster (and hey, so that's why they're called poptarts, weird how Tony never thought about that, though they aren't very much like tarts so the name makes only half sense) he leans against the counter and eyes the both of them. Loki makes a show of being unconcerned, eating his raw meat salad while Tony smiles awkwardly and casts his gaze around the room, trying to find something to talk about. He's never this at a loss for words but then, he's never been in the middle of a weird love/sex triangle with one of his team mates.

"I see you are becoming friendly," Thor says, glancing between the two of them.

That's one way to put it, Tony thinks, but knows better than to say.

"All hail the observational powers of the crown prince of Asgard," Loki says in a monotone.

Thor's face tightens. "This has to stop, Loki."

Narrowing his eyes, Loki finally looks at him "And it shall, as soon as you stop acting like you _have the right_."

"I merely," Thor starts, but Loki interrupts him sharply.

"No, Thor." Sitting up, Loki pierces Thor with his eyes. "It is time for you to, as they say here, move the fuck on."

Mutinously, Thor stares at Loki for a moment. "I shall not. I cannot. You were my-"

" _Were_ being the poignant word here," Loki interrupts once more, "Past tense, Thor." He eats a forkful of meat. "And I never truly was, anyways, as you sould know." Looking up, he fixes Thor with his eyes. "Besides, I do recall you not wishing to have anything to do with me when it counted. You made no secret of your opposition to the peacemaking efforts." His eyes flash. "Or your lack of it to the way Odin Allfather used me to get there."

Thor looks crestfallen, but worse, _ashamed_. Tony really wishes he were anywhere else right because as curious as he is, this is shaping up into a profoundly private moment. "I was... confused," Thor says. "You yourself know what we have been taught all our lives. When that did not... when the stories of our childhood did appear to be more fictionalized accounts than historical reports, as I had... assumed I was confused, I acted rashly." Ignoring his poptarts' attempt at destroying the drama of the moment by choosing right that moment to pop out of the toaster Thor leans forwards, looking intently at Loki. "I was wrong, Loki. I know that now, and I was starting to suspect it then, but I did not bear it with half as much grace as I should have. I was young and stupid but foremostly I was _wrong_ , and I'm sorry for how much I hurt you. All I can do is apologize and hope that one day you might be able to accept it."

"Perhaps," Loki says, focusing on his bowl again, but he looks less aloof and hostile now. It seems to be enough for Thor, because he nods, takes his cooling poptarts out of the toaster and leaves again.

"So," Tony says into the silence he leaves behind, because this just became even more complicated than he had thought. "Sorry, I just gotta ask. Is Thor in love with you?"

"What?" Loki blinks, the frown that had been starting to build on his face when Tony started to speak vanishing. " _What_?"

Grimacing, Tony pulls up his shoulders. "Seriously, I'm flying completely blind here, I have no idea what the heck is going on but that's what it looks like from here."

"No." Looking honestly disgusted, Loki shakes his head. "By the Norns, _no_. We..." He sighs, scowls into his bowl. This would be the moment where Tony magnanimously says Loki doesn't have to tell him anything, but he doesn't. He really wants to know just what the heck is going on between those two, especially since they've just made him involuntary audience to their little moment just now. "We were raised as siblings. We did not know we were not truly related until the Allfather decided that it was time for me to execute the purpose for which he saved me from certain death."

"To make peace between Jötunheimr and Asgard," Tony guesses, because it ties in neatly with Loki's earlier story about the peace feast and the alcohol. And wow, that sounds both dramatic and traumatic. No wonder he got the impression there was some pining going on. He can't even put to words how relieved he is that there isn't; this means there is nothing preventing him from taking Loki back to bed. Maybe Thor will be a little unhappy but it won't affect team dynamics the way it would have if there actually were a triangle going on, like Tony had originally thought.

Loki seems surprised that Tony made the connection; he nods, frowning at his bowl. With an annoyed noise he puts it aside and abruptly rises. "I do not wish to talk about this any longer."

"Cool, me neither," Tony agrees quickly. He really doesn't; this is more tan enough drama for his taste and he's rather relieved that he isn't involved after all. "Wanna come to bed and fuck me?"

"Yes." Loki raises an eyebrow, allows Tony to drag him to his bedroom where Tony proceeds to push him down on the mattress and makes him come with his mouth. Then, while Loki is still mellow from orgasm, Tony manages to convince him to brush his teeth before he feels comfortable with Loki's mouth on him anywhere, and then they really get busy. The taste of mint on Loki's tongue makes his cool temperature even more interesting; Tony is by far not done exploring this. He rather hopes he can convince Loki to stay a while to give them the opportunity.


End file.
